Three bids for the same yard usually describe three different jobs. This is how I read a bid, in the order I read it.
One bid includes demolition and haul-off. One assumes the gas line is somebody else's problem. One prices a patio 200 square feet smaller than the one you asked for. The lowest number is often the one that left the most out.
I spent thirty years on the build side of this trade, writing these bids. Now I work for homeowners. When I review your bids, I'm not one of the bidders, so nobody bidding your project pays me.
A bid can only be compared if it prices the same work. Before you ask anyone for a number, put the job in writing:
Give every bidder the same package and ask them to price it as drawn. If one of them suggests a change, ask for it as a separate line so the base numbers still line up.
If you already have bids and no plan, list what each one includes side by side. The gaps show up fast.
Every California contractor's record is public and costs nothing to check at cslb.ca.gov. Look up the license number on each bid and confirm:
Then ask each bidder for a certificate of general liability insurance, sent to you by their insurance agent and not by the contractor.
Check the salesperson too. Anyone who sells you a home improvement contract and is not an owner or officer of the company must be registered with the state, and their name and registration number belong on the contract.
Exclusions and allowances are where a low bid hides. Read them before you read the price.
| Often left out | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Demolition and haul-off | Are removal, hauling and dump fees in the price? |
| Soil export or import | How many yards of soil leave or arrive, and who pays if it is more? |
| Drainage | Where does the water go, and is that work priced? |
| Gas, electrical and water runs | Who trenches and runs each line, from where, and how far? |
| Permits, engineering and HOA submittals | Who prepares them, who pays the fees, and who waits on the approval? |
| Access and site conditions | What happens to the price if you hit rock, or equipment can't fit through the side yard? |
| Repairs afterward | Who fixes irrigation, fencing and stucco damaged during the work? |
Allowances are placeholders for things not yet chosen, such as tile, appliances or plants. An allowance is a guess, and a low guess makes a low bid. Ask each bidder what the allowance buys, by product name, and compare it with what you intend to buy.
California law sets the limits on what a contractor can collect and when. A bid that ignores them tells you something about the bidder.
Be wary of a schedule that asks for money for “mobilization,” a “materials deposit,” or “plans and permits” before any work starts. The Contractors State License Board publishes these rules for homeowners at cslb.ca.gov.
Three questions separate a contractor who has planned your job from one who has only priced it.
A bid well below the others is not automatically a bargain or a trap. It usually means one of four things:
You can find the first two by reading. You find the last two by asking the Step 5 questions and calling two recent customers. The right bid prices the whole job and comes from a contractor who can show you one like it that they built.
Print one copy for each bid.
Three is enough if all three price the same plan. Five bids on five different scopes tell you less than two bids on the same one.
Take it when it prices the same scope as the others and the contractor checks out. Otherwise the lowest bid is usually the most incomplete one.
More often they are pricing different jobs. Put them on the same scope first. If a real gap remains, it is worth a conversation with both bidders.
For anything beyond a simple patio, yes. Without a plan, each contractor designs the job in their head and prices their own version.
Yes. That is my bid review, a flat $950. I put the bids on the same scope, verify the license, bond, workers' comp and liability on each, and read the payment schedule, allowances and exclusions before you sign.
I review landscape and pool bids for homeowners in South Riverside County and North County San Diego, for a flat $950. When I review your bids, I'm not one of the bidders, and no contractor on your project pays me.